MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2007

DARK HORSE COMICS FOR SEPTEMBER

BERSERK VOLUME 20

Written and art by Kentaro Miura.

The Black Swordsman Guts' former captain and lover, Casca, has been taken by the Holy Iron Chain Knights to the "Tower of Conviction" of the fanatic torturer of the Holy See, Mozgus, who plans to treat the rumored witch to the proper agonies of the damned. And Guts is on his way to rescue Casca and dish out some chastisement of his own on any who get in his way. But forces in the demonic realms are in motion and are being drawn to the torture tower in what may be a prelude to a second Eclipse and an unprecedented release of malign spirits into the world!

232 pages, black and white, $13.95, in stores on Nov. 21.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #129

Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.

Samura's "Badger Hole" story arc continues, as Rin and D÷a begin to explore the network of tunnels that wind below Edo Castle. One of these dank, dangerous tunnels may lead them to Kagimura and Doc Burando's blasphemous "immortality workshop," where they hope to find their missing friends. However, before they face the horrors of this demented bangashira's operating room, they'll have to get past more of Kagimura's foot soldiers. If D÷a has her way, they'll be cutting a bloody path right to Isaku and Manji! Readers will also enjoy a flashback that sheds some light on hotheaded D÷a's past, detailing an early encounter with her beloved leader (and Rin's nemesis), Anotsu Kagehisa. This issue will also feature a full-color pinup by rising star Rob Guillory!

32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 12.

B.P.R.D.: KILLING GROUND #2

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art and cover by Guy Davis, colored by Dave Stewart.

Something wicked has come to the B.P.R.D. as Liz's apocalyptic visions escalate and Daimio continues to withdraw from his teammates. B.P.R.D.: The Killing Ground immediately follows B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls. The Killing Ground will leave the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense and its members forever altered.

The second arc of Season Eight starts here. Brian K. Vaughan takes over writing duties and dives headlong into what Faith is up to -- infiltration, assassination, and nonstop Cleveland. The fugitive Slayer is given the assignment that could change her life . . . if Giles's specialized training doesn't make her want to end it first. Joss Whedon stays on as Executive Producer in this first part of "No Future for You."

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 8.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: THE LONG WAY HOME

Written by Joss Whedon, art by Georges Jeanty, colored by Andy Owens, cover by Jo Chen.

Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers -- newly legion -- have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own.

Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues 1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.

136 pages, $15.95, in stores on Nov. 14.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: PANEL TO PANEL

Written and art by various.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, captivating cult phenomenon and one of the most critically acclaimed TV series of the last decade, burst into the comics realm in August of 1998. Nearly every year since, the rich thematic material of good vs. evil, Slayer vs. vampire, friendship vs. isolation, and black vs. the new black has been explored at Dark Horse in over a hundred different issues -- and by the biggest luminaries in the business. The stunning visuals unachievable on a small-screen budget have come to life, realized by Chris Bachalo, J. Scott Campbell, Jeff Matsuda, Mike Mignola, Terry Moore, Eric Powell, Cliff Richards, Tim Sale, and Ryan Sook, among others. Take a look back at the most dynamic and memorable line art and paintings from the first ten years of the Slayer in comics.

192 pages, $19.95, in stores on Nov. 14.

CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOL.13: WHISPERING SHADOWS AND OTHER STORIES

Written by Roy Thomas, penciled by John Buscema and Sal Buscema, inked by Ernie Chan, colored by Peter Dawes, Ian Sokoliswski, Dennis Kashton and Wil Glass.

A new era begins for Conan the Barbarian, as he sets out, once more alone, into the savage heart of Hyboria -- his wit, his strength, and his blade his only allies against a flood of foes both human and super-human! Presenting more of the celebrated Roy Thomas/John Buscema Conan the Barbarian run, as well as a special guest artist appearance by Sal Buscema! All featuring completely re-mastered color; all proving once again why Conan is the greatest and most savage Epic Fantasy character of all time. Collects Marvel's Conan the Barbarian #92 and #101-108.

168 pages, $16.95, in stores on Nov. 7.

CLASSIC COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS #8: GRENDEL

Dark Horse continues its series of vintage-style statuettes featuring the best characters from comic books. The sculpting and packaging design is inspired by the original "Hunter Rose" version of one of the modern era's most interesting heroes, Matt Wagner's Grendel. Produced in a limited edition of only 550 hand-numbered copies, making this a significant component in our celebration of Grendel's 25th anniversary. Sculpting by Yoe! Studio from original designs by Wagner.

Each hand-numbered statuette comes packaged in a custom-tooled, full-color, litho-printed tin box. Also included is a small booklet about each character and a vintage-style pinback button of the character.

6 inches tall, limited to 550, $49.99, in stores on Nov. 17.

CONAN #44

Written by Timothy Truman, pencils by Cary Nord, colored by Richard Isanove, cover by Nord and Isanove.

A favorite of fans and critics alike, the seminal Conan story "Rogues in the House" first appeared in Weird Tales. Now, writer Timothy Truman and artist Cary Nord bring you the tale of the Red Priest, as you've never seen it before. Trapped in the labyrinthine halls of the Red Priest's house, and stalked by a mysterious horror, Conan and Murillo have made a wary alliance with the Priest himself.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 19.

CRIMINAL MACABRE: MY DEMON BABY #1

Written by Steve Niles, art by Nick Stakal, colored by Michelle Madsen, cover by Tim Bradstreet.

To say that Cal's been through hell and back would be a misstatement. He's been to hell, all right, and he seems to be stuck there for good. When we last checked in on Cal, he and Mo'Lock had just witnessed the vile, horrifying transformation of Cal's lovely ex, Sabrina Lynch, into a minion of the vampire Nosferatu. After that Cal disappeared for a bit, and at the start of our new series, Mo'Lock finds him just in time to lure him off the filthy couch in an abandoned house with an offer he can't refuseőeither he gets up and takes a new case, or Mo'Lock will kill him before the drugs can. And what a case it is. Devil worshippers in sunny SoCal are doing their best to bring Satan into the world, and by the looks of things, Cal's already too late. What does one feed a bouncing baby Beezelbub, anyway?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 19.

CRIMINAL MACABRE: THE COMPLETE CAL MCDONALD STORIES

Written by Steve Niles.

The world has two faces. The natural and the supernatural. The face we see every day, people filing past us in an almost zombie-like stupor, numb to the horrors of everyday life or driven to madness by the pain and agony of modern-day existence. And those are the people who aren't zombies or monsters!

Cal McDonald is a detective with one foot in the real world, and one in the world of magic. For Cal, the horrors we all dream about in the fevered darkness of the night are all-too real, kept at bay through an almost constant influx of drugs to numb the pain, but never erase it. Cut from the same mold as Sam Spade, Jake Gittes, and the famous detectives of Chandler, Hammett and Spillane, Cal McDonald, whether he likes it or not, is all that stands between us and the nightmare world just outside our vision.

Collected for the first time in one book are the long-out-of-print prose adventures of the most unconventional detective of all time.

576 pages, $12.95, in stores on Nov. 28.

DOCTOR SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM VOLUME 4

Written by Paul S. Newman, art by Frank Bolle.

After his debut in October of 1962, Doctor Solar swiftly rose to join Magnus, Robot Fighter as one of Gold Key's most popular original heroes. Stunning painted covers sucked in even the most casual comics reader, and the source of Solar's astounding powers -- nuclear radiation -- addressed one of the biggest fears of the day. While the character has been reinvented in the decades since, his adventures in this archive of Gold Key and Wilson comics completes the body of work that formed his foundation.

This collection restores and reprints issues twenty-three through thirty-one of the original Doctor Solar comic-book series -- the revolutionary science-fiction adventure that gave birth to one of comics' most distinctive and beloved superheroes -- for the first time in over forty years. His guest appearance in The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor #14 is also included, making this the biggest Doctor Solar volume of them all!

240 pages, $49.95, in stores on Nov. 21.

EDEN: IT'S AN ENDLESS WORLD! VOLUME 9

Written and art by Hiroki Endo.

The Closure virus, responsible for wiping out about one-third of the world's population, begins to mutate, and victims in India are found undergoing strange metamorphoses. This volume also finds Hiroki Endo moving Eden in new directions, with new characters, settings, and technology mixing with the old. Sophia and Kenji are back, going head-to-head with Propator forces in Eastern Asia, including Propator's cyborg killers -- the vicious Aeon soldiers! Elijah's father flexes some political muscle, and Kenji uses some real muscle to protect an important political figure, the leader of a minority group in China still fighting for their human rights. This is another fast-paced, roller-coaster Eden volume, with explosive action, science fiction twists, incredibly violent surprises, and morsels of philosophical debate.

232 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Nov. 7.

ELFQUEST BUST: CUTTER

One of the true modern classics of the graphic story medium is undoubtedly Elfquest. Since its debut in 1978, this fantasy saga by Wendy and Richard Pini has won a worldwide legion of fans. Dark Horse Deluxe is proud to announce the first in a series of three limited-edition busts of the primary characters. Sculptor Tim Bruckner will bring these fictional beings to life, and to say he has been successful is probably an understatement.

The figure will be offered as a pre-painted bust, with unique "pivot" feature allowing the owner to adjust the display angle at their pleasure. Although each bust stands alone, when viewed as a set the relationship between the characters is obvious.

Vaughan tells the tale of three aspiring comics creators with big dreams, small cash, and publishing rights to one forgotten Golden Age hero -- The Escapist!

Inspired by Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, this is Vaughan's love letter to his chosen medium, a story about what it takes to start out with nothing in Cleveland, Ohio and end up with a comic so hot a major corporation wants to steal it from you! Brilliantly interweaving the lives of the creators with the world of their creation, artists Steve Rolston and Philip Bond bring the comic-booking trio Maxwell Roth, Case Weaver, and Denny Jones to life, while the inimitable Jason Shawn Alexander and Eduardo Barreto illustrate the thrilling trials and exciting extrications of the new -- and old -- Escapist!

This high-end hardcover features new introduction by Chabon.

160 pages, $19.95, in stoers on Nov. 28.

FEAR AGENT: THE LAST GOODBYE #4

Written by Rick Remender, penciled by Tony Moore, inked by Ande Parks, cover by Lee Loughridge.

The last stand of Heath Huston and the fighting Fear Agents! After uncovering the Dressites' horrible secret motivation, Earth's last defenders are forced to travel to the moon in a desperate final fight for the survival of our species. Forced to somehow win an impossible battle, Heath must make the most terrible choice of his life-setting the stage for all that follows.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 5.

THE GOON #20

Written and art by Eric Powell.

Eric Powell has clawed his way out of Albatross's basement and back into the hearts of horrified readers everywhere with the return of his flagship character in a new (or at least only gently used) ongoing series. The diabolical magician Draxton Entity and his saucy avian sidekicks are back -- with a mission! Can Goon and Franky's resolve withstand the charms of these tartish harpies? Does Franky even have resolve? Do we even care?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 19.

THE GOON: CHINATOWN

Written and art by Eric Powell.

Dark Horse is very proud to present the first original graphic novel from Eisner Award-laden swami Eric Powell. Powell has been sowing the seeds of Chinatown and the Mystery of Mr. Wicker for years in his award-winning bimonthly series The Goon, and salivating fans may now feast their eyes on the Goon's formative backstory of love, loss, and extortion -- a lengthy tale that demanded to be told in this uninterrupted format.

Spiritual leader of Tennessee and hero to the Great Unwashed, Powell escaped catastrophic death and mother-shaming scandal to bring this work to fruition. He's a sensitive man in insensitive times. But be warned: this book ain't funny.

128 pages, $19.95, in stores on Nov. 21.

GROO: HELL ON EARTH #1

Written by Mark Evanier, art by Sergio Aragones, colored by Tom Luth.

Groo is back . . . and oddly enough, that may not be the biggest disaster looming over the world. It seems to be getting hotter everywhere . . . that is, in those places where it isn't getting colder than ever before. The usual suspects -- Sergio AragonÚs and Mark Evanier -- bring you the first chapter of what will eventually be four issues. That is, if the planet in the comic survives that long!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 19.

GUNSMITH CATS REVISED EDITION VOLUME 4

Written and art by Kenichi Sonoda.

This fourth and final omnibus volume of the original Gunsmith Cats series is probably the single best GSC-related item available. Not only does it comprise the super-exciting "Mr. V" story line, with the usual gun-and-auto action and and special plot twist, but for extra punch, creator Kenichi Sonoda added a bunch of exclusive gag strips and a few issues of his left-to-right reading Riding Bean stories from way back in 1989. Also included are some "making of Riding Bean" comics and sketches and notes from the early days. See the beginnings of Sonoda's awesome Gunsmith Cats series!

480 pages, black and white, $16.95, in stores on Nov. 18.

HANAMI: INTERNATIONAL LOVE STORY VOLUME 3

Written by Plus, art by Sung Jae Park.

Joonho had stumbled his way into every teenage boy's dream. He was surrounded by sweet, cute girls on all sides . . . Hanami, his magnetic next-door neighbor from Japan; Joori, his spunky coworker at the fast-food restaurant; and Sae-un, his longtime crush from back home in Suwon. But when Joori makes a pass at him -- with a kiss! -- Joonho is thrown into emotional turmoil! It's hard to stay true to Sae-un when temptation gets this aggressive. And to make matters worse, Hanami is thinking about moving back to Japan. It's time for Joonho to make a decision, and fast.

200 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Nov. 18.

HARLAN ELLISON'S WATCHING

Written by Harlan Ellison, introduction by Leonard Maltin.

Harlan Ellison's Watching documents 25 years of this award-winning author's writings on his obsession with motion pictures. Includes over fifty essays! Most overviews of film are written from some high, sunlit mountaintop. In this first collection of Harlan Ellison's cinema criticism come from the darkened interiors of a thousand movie houses where this most peculiar of all Observers of the Passing Scene has spent much of his life. The view is guaranteed to make you grind your teeth in anger, nod your head in blessed agreement, and open your eyes in a manner of judging films that is definitely not plebeian. Harlan Ellison's love affair with movies is obvious. As an essayist, he has no equal; as a film critic he has no friends. Take care.

248 pages, $12.95, in stores on Nov. 14.

HELLBOY: DARKNESS CALLS #6

Written by Mike Mignola, art by Duncan Fegredo, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

Hellboy's epic battle with the immortal warrior Koshchei reaches its climax in the thunderous conclusion to this six-issue arc.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 25.

HELLBOY 8" QEE

Dark Horse its Qee line with the classic 2.5 inch Hellboy Qee. Next up, the much-coveted large size 8" Qee. Only 1,500 will be sold worldwide, making this an instant collectible. Hellboy and Qee fans can rejoice and unite in toy heaven! Dark Horse asked Mike Mignola to pick an artist to design an 8" Hellboy variant and he chose Tara McPherson! Tara was happy to comply, and has designed a magnificent Hellboy, turning it into a unique creation all her own! This piece is limited to 450, worldwide, so place your orders now!

Limited to 1,500, $79.99 (Tara McPherson variant, $79.99), in stores on August 15.

JOHN NORMAN'S GOR OMNIBUS VOLUME 1

Written by John Norman.

When Tarnsman of Gor was first published in 1966, author John Norman introduced the world to Tarl Cabot, a man ripped from his homeland and cast across space to the savage world of Gor, where thousands of kidnapped prisoners toiled as slaves for the all-powerful Priest-Kings.

Part science fiction, part adventure novel, the stories in the world of Gor would unfold to show Tarl Cabot's growth from a novice to a man whose fate might determine the course of every man, woman, and child on Gor.

John Norman's Gor Omnibus 1 collects the first three novels in the series. Prepare to take a journey to a land of passion and sorcery.

768 pges, $14.95, in stores on Nov. 21.

THE KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE VOLUME 5

Written by Eiji Otsuka, art by Housui Yamazaki.

The corpses whose last wishes Kurosagi delivers usually died not too long ago . . . for reasons that are gruesomely obvious. But when the ominous Mr. Nire returns to the scene with a re-animated mummy in tow, what they're gonna do is go back . . . way back, as the kids kick it Egyptian Old Kingdom school! Then, travel from the past into the future of death, as the Kurosagi crew unlocks the cold business behind some cryogenically frozen heads!

208 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on Nov. 21.

LEROY NEIMAN: FEMLIN

Written and art by Leroy Neiman.

When LeRoy Neiman and Hugh Hefner met in the early 1950s, while Neiman was doing women's high fashion drawings and Hefner was a copywriter in a Chicago department store, neither could have predicted that a twelve-inch woman called Femlin was waiting in the wings. But Femlin is mischievous. She's spunky. And she knows how to strike while the iron is hot.

Fifty years later, Femlin is still going strong and sassy. Neiman has drawn her for every issue of Playboy for the last half-century, showing her at play, at sport, and at her ease. Wearing her trademark heels, stockings, and gloves -- and not much else -- Femlin has become a beloved icon of PlayboyŐand a celebrity in her own right.

This book features text and images by Neiman, and an afterword by Playboy founder and publisher Hugh M. Hefner.

186 pages, $49.95 (with slipcase, $100), in stores on Nov. 14.

LOBSTER JOHNSON: THE IRON PROMETHEUS #1

Written by Mike Mignola, art by Jason Armstrong, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

"Beware my claw, for I've come to inflict justice!"

As America hovers on the brink of World War II, the Lobster and his allies must race against the clock as they fight their way through cannibals, yetis, and the machinations of a mysterious villain bent on fulfilling a deadly prophecy.

After years of captivating fans from the pages of Hellboy and B.P.R.D., the pulp-style adventures of Lobster Johnson take the limelight in the Lobster's first solo series. The Iron Prometheus is a wild ride full of fearsome monsters, mad scientists, and threats from the world beyond.